The Dark Side of the Universe has recently gained center stage in contemporary science. Comprehending the nature and composition of dark matter and dark energy is now considered a key problem of frontier research in physics. The CAST experiment at CERN is a prime player in the quest for this understanding: several advanced detection techniques are exploited there, including the KWISP opto-mechanical sensor, which is searching for dark energy components. KWISP has spawned the innovative “advanced-KWISP” concept, with the ambition of extending the reach into the realm of short-distance interactions, where many portals beyond the Standard Model of particle physics may well lie hidden.

CV:

Associate Professor of physics at the Physics Department of the University of Trieste. Awarded with the National Scientific Qualification as Full Professor. Scientific Associate at CERN, Geneva. Currently teaching basic physics courses at the School of Architecture at the School of Engineering of the University of Trieste. The main research interests are focused on the dark universe, more specifically on experimental searches for WISP (Weakly Interacting Slim Particles)-type particles, such as chameleons and axions, which are possible constituents of the dark energy and of the dark matter. He has been the spokesperson of the PVLAS experiment of INFN (Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Italy) in 2002-2008 which studied the magnetized quantum vacuum, and subsequently project leader of the INFN BaRBE_LT experiment, which studied the application of TES (Transition Edge Sensor)-based sensors to single photon counting at low energy with low background. Currently, he is Deputy Spokesperson of the CAST (Cern Axion Solar Telescope) collaboration at CERN.

The research at BATS lab is focused mainly on electronic sensors fabrication. The most investigated and advanced device consists of a piezo-polymer film shaped in semicircular geometry to manufacture ultrasonic sensors in air. These devices are suitable to mimic the echolocation system of bats and rats. Interesting results on the cerebral activity of rat’s brain stimulation, after implantation, demonstrated that the inferior colliculus can be directly stimulated by ultrasound acquired with the sensor, located outside and bypassing the biological inner ear.

The same polymer, PVDF, is used as pyroelectric sensor to measure the temperature of biological fluids in microchannels for Lab-on-Chip application. In a different arrangement it is used to monitor apnoea events in prenatal babies.

Capillaroscopy is also investigated and a low cost prototype has been fabricated by a students Start-Up, as well as a sensorized can for blinds.

And Now for Something completely different: exploring interstellar magnetic fields in the Milky Way

What would you say if you were asked: "What is the Milky Way made of?" Most likely, and reasonably, "stars" would be the answer. However, not only stars are just one facet of the Galactic content but modern astrophysics also struggles in explaining the details of their formation process. In order to gain insights into this problem it is key to study the physics of the outer space that fills the Galaxy between stars, which is called interstellar medium.

The interstellar medium is a plasma made of cosmic rays, multiphase gas, and dust particles, all tightly coupled with magnetic fields. It is through their interactions that a complex cycle, involving gravity, several phase transitions, and magneto-hydrodynamic turbulence, leads diffuse/warm matter to condense into denser/colder regions, where stars eventually form. However, the detailed processes of this matter cycle are still unclear. For decades, one of the most difficult challenges of astrophysical observations has been the characterization of magnetic fields along this evolutionary sequence.

Today, thanks to the technological breakthrough of new experiments, such as the ESA-Planck satellite, we are now entering a new era to probe the magnetic properties of the interstellar medium.

After reviewing the state-of-the-art investigation of magnetic fields in the Milky Way, in this talk I will give an introductive overview of the recent results obtained by the Planck Consortium. Using unprecedented maps of linear polarization at sub-millimeter wavelengths, for the first time, we were able to trace the magnetic field structure of our own Galaxy over the whole sky. I will focus on several aspects of our data analysis that show the relevance of magnetic fields in the Galactic environment, from the diffuse medium to the regions where early star formation takes place.

I will conclude my talk with interesting perspectives for the future to study the magnetic properties of the Milky Way by combining multiple probes of the interstellar medium with existing and upcoming experiments, such as Planck, LOFAR, and SKA.